Raised-printing process and product.



WTED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

SAMUEL LIPSIUS, on NEW YORK, is. Y.

RAISED-PRINTING PROCESS AND PRODUCT.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL Lrrsros, a citizen of the United States, and residing at New York, in-the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new nd Improved Raised-Printing Process and roduct, of which the following specification is a full disclosure.

This invention relates to the printing of characters in simulation of the raised effects produced by the action of dies or engraved plates and ordinarily known as embossing work.

Various methods have heretofore been proposed and to some extent put into commercial use whereby embossed work may be simulated by acting in conjunction with an ordinary printing press, and without necessitating the manufacture of special dies. In practising these well known methods, ordi- 1 nary stifl', quick-drying printers-ink is first impressed upon a sheet of paper, a quantity of fusible resinous powder (such as gum velemi) is then deposited on the freshly inked surface and, by carefully melting this pow-- der, it is caused to amalgamate with the inked surface so that when cold it will give a raised surface imitating the relief effects yielded by a die. This process has, however, possessed many heretofore unavoidable difliculties which have materially contributed to reduce the commercial value of the process. One difficulty with this imitation embossing, as heretofore practised, lies in the fact that the.finished work has a very strong tendency to peel or strip on the paper so that, when the paper is folded or creased, the raised material will crack and flake, and the detached particles thereof will not only give the appearance of loose dirt scattered over the paper and collected in the folds thereof, but the neat effect 'of the printing itself is also lost. This has deprived this process of the very point on which its commercial utility depends; 2". e., a neatness and beauty comparable with die work.

Now one object within the contemplation of this invention is to create an improved process such as will yield a sheet of paper having printed characters not only closely imitating embossing but also so flexible and so tenaciously adhering to the paper that it may be folded without unduly cracking or Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Application filed November 2 5, 1914. Serial No. 873,946.

' flaking, so that the letter-heads on highgrade bond paper may be folded or handled severely without a depreciation in appearance. a

' Another object is to render commercially available at a comparatively low cost a sheet of paper having raised characters characterized by a materially greater degree of flexibility than those produced by former methods and characterized by a tenacity of adhesion to the paper which will enable them to remain intact on the paper notwithstanding considerable rough handling and folding.

Another object of this invention is to discover mutually compatible materials and themanner of utilizing the same, whereby the ultimate composition of the raised character will possess a considerable amount of elasticity or flexibility combined with a strong tenacity for the paper so that the resultant printe matter may be given more durability.

A still further object is to create a method whereby, immediately after leaving the final or hardening step, the raised printing will acquire a durable status on the paper so that the latter may at once be folded or handled 1vvlizthout fear of producing flaking or the Other objects wil be indicated in connec-' tion with the following analysis of this in-v vention which consists in the materials, the unique relations of the ingredients, the relative proportioning thereof, the method of combining the same, and the resultant article of manufacture, all as more completely outlined herein.

To enable others skilled in the art so fully to comprehend the underlying features thereof that they may embody the same by any of the numerous modifications in composition and method contemplated by this invention, the following description will outline the principles and rules to be observed.

As a result of exhaustive eXperiments,I have discovered and am enabled to cure two primary difficulties in the prevailing methods of imitating embossed work. That is to say, I have found first, that by employing proper ingredients the ultimate composition of the raised characters will be comparatively flexible instead of being hard and brittle, and second that the composition may be caused to adhere much more tenaciously to the paper than is the case with the current methods. In the prevailing methods, the base of the character is first laid by blending it with ordinary stifl' printers-ink. By ordinary printers-ink is meant an ink of the general type represented by the folv lowing formula or variations thereof, to

wit: 68% heavy linseed oil varnish, 7% Japan drier, 19% carbon black, and 6% Prussian blue. On this quick-drying base is then applied the usual resinous composition, which is subsequently fused in place. Heretofore, it has not been observed that an incompatibility subsists between the ordinary printers-ink and the resinous material used, under the conditions in which they are blended, and as a consequence the ultimate printed character has not been perfectly composed or constituted.

I have discovered that, by selecting an ink free from certain of the conventional ingredients and physical characteristics of ordinary stifl printing ink, and by selecting a compatible composition, and by properly to take the form of a hard film almost immediately after leaving ress so that it will not offset or smu go during subsequent manipulations. lhis immediate set is obtained by the agency of varnishproducing and drying ingredients and,

in fact,-a typical varnish is sometimes added to the other ingredients in making the ink. For example, a typical printing ink would more or less closely conform to the abovementioned formula. My experiments have demonstrated, however, that the drying and to impair the tenacity of adhesion and to render the gum brittle when applied to the paper.

In practising this invention, the ink should contain a sulhcient amount of oily varnish producing ingredients so desirable for ordinary stiff printers-ink exercises a harmful efi'ect when it is attempted to manipulate a printed character with the reliefing or embossing compound. That is to say, these ingredients are not sufliciently compatible with the fusible gum and they tend material, such as linseed oil or glycerin, to superficially penetrate the paper and amalgamate with the fusible gum, and the ink should possess greater fluidity than the ordinary tacky printers-ink; '5. e., it should be sufficiently fluid almost to flow from its receptacle. An ink suitable for this purpose may be composed of 73% of boiled linseed oil, 8% of rosin, (as distinguished from a true drying agent), 12% .of carbon black, and 6% of Prussian blue. It will be observed that this formula is characteristically difi'erentfrom the constituents of ordinary printers-ink and when it is used in connection with a suitable fusible gum, especially of animal origin such as that hereinafter proposed, it will be found to be entirely compatible therewith and to produce a character that at once is flexible and yet adheres tenaciously to the paper immediately after leaving the printing press and melting oven. Another typical composition such as may be successfully used in accordance with this method could contain 1% lbs. of glycerin as a vehicle, 1 lb. of dextrinas a body, and 9; lb. of anilin color, and, by varying the amount of glycerin, the different weather conditions will be met.

My investigations have further developed a superior species of gum which will render much more satisfactory results than the gums heretofore employed with ordinary printers-ink. That is to say, if ordinary shellac is freed from the limy, waxy substances and other foreign ingredients, so that substantially pure shellac or refined shellac is obtained, this product when powdered will be preeminently compatible with either of the typical inks above mentioned and it will, when fused in place, immediately after leaving the printing press, produce a character at once flexible and strongly adherent to the paper.

By using the ingredients herein specified and by completing the method immediately after leaving the printing press, it will be found that the cold sheets of printed matter may be stacked at once without danger of sticking together and they may be folded like an ordinary letter-head without chipping or flaking.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of this invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting certain features that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalency of the following claims.

Having thus revealed this invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure the following combinations'zof elements, or equivalents thereof, by Letters Patent of the United States 2- 1. A process for producing raised flexible printing which comprehends printing a fiat character by means of a slow-drying ink containing a considerable amount of an oily ingredient; and immediately thereafter applying pulverulent refined shellac; and then fusing the shellac in place.

2. An article of manufacture of the nature disclosed, consisting of a sheet of paper having a flexible raised character tenaciously adhering thereto, said character being composed of refined shellac; and an ink substantially free from a varnish drier.

3. A process of making raised flexible printing, which comprehends printing a flat character by means of an ink substantially free from afvarnish drier; and then fusing powdered shellac upon said character to cause it to amalgamate therewith.

4. An article of manufacture of the nature disclosed, consisting of a sheet of paper having a flexible printed character adhering tenaciously thereto and composed of refined shellac; and a base of ink substantially free from quick-setting varnishing elements.

5. A process of the nature disclosed for. producing raised printing, which comprehends printing a flat character by means of an ink containing glycerin; and then fusing a gum of animal origin on said character.

6. A process of the nature disclosed for producing raised printing, which comprehends printing a flat character. by means of an ink containing dextrin and an oily agent,

.and then fusing powdered shellac on said character.

7. A process of the nature disclosed for producing raised printing, which comprehends printing a flat character by means of a slow-setting partially fluid ink; and

then fusing a gum of animal origin on said character.

8. An article of manufacture consisting of a sheet of hard-surfaced paper provided with printed letters elevated in imitation of embossed printing and consisting of a fused "compound composed of a shellac-like gum blended into a water soluble ink containing coloring matter and a hygroscopic agent.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, as attested by the two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL LIPSIUS.

Witnesses:

M. J. COOPER, H. J. BRUNJES. 

